Forever&Always
by readpaintlaugh
Summary: A series of glimpses into the lives of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks
1. After the Moon

**JK Rowling owns all the characters! **

* * *

Remus sighed, sleep had come fitfully after he'd managed to get up the strength to apparate back to 12 Grimmauld Place. His face had a large scratch down his cheek and his body was covered in stretch marks from changing into a wolf and back. Every bone in his body ached and there were a few small cuts from running through the trees. Plus, Remus thought he'd broken a finger or two, every time he moved his left hand sharp pains shot up his arm. He was trying to turn on his side without inflicting any more pain when he heard on knock on the door.

Remus groaned, "Sirius go away and come back in a day."

"Remus, Sirius sent me in to..." Tonks said as she walked in, gasping, "Remus! Are you okay? Merlin...oh no, last night was the..."

Remus didn't look at her, he was too ashamed of who he was.

Tonks gasped again, running over to the bed and sitting on the edge, "Remus! Don't be embarrassed, I know you're truly human and that's all you want to be. I've known you long enough to know your not a monster."

Remus' voice broke, "T-tonks, you don't know how much this means to me," he laughed, "Normally I wouldn't be crying but the full moon messed up my emotions..."

Tonks laughed, "Sure Remus, sure... Now what can I do for these wounds?"

"Ah, I managed to stop these cuts from bleeding, but I think a couple of my fingers are broken..."

"Remus can you sit up? It'd be easier." Remus nodded, wincing as he sat up, dangling his feet off the bed.

"Oh! I forgot about this," Tonks said as she pulled a bar of chocolate from her robe.

"How did..."

"I think Sirius is trying to set us up, he practically shoved it on me this morning," Tonks said, winking.

Remus broke off a piece, "Want some?"

Tonks smiled, "After I fix you up," she said as she gingerly grabbed his hand. Tonks muttered a spell and pressed her wand to his hand, causing it glow red. "Merlin Remus, what did you do to break your hand?"

Remus groaned, "I broke it? I thought I only broke two fingers..."

"Hold still," Tonks said and she pressed her wand to his hand again.

Remus winced, then flexed his hand, sighing pleasantly at the absent pain, "Thanks."

"Remus, are you sure I can't heal this?" Tonks asked, pointing at the painful looking scratch.

Remus sighed, "Unfortunately, no. This is a cursed wound, since I inflicted it myself." Remus reached for another piece of chocolate with his left hand and winced.

"Remus...what other wounds do you have that your not showing me?" Tonks asked suspiciously. Remus quickly tried to cover up the sheets he'd been laying on, not wanting to worry her any more.

"Remus..."

"Nothing Tonks, I just need a shirt," Remus said getting up. Remus flinched when Tonks when she noticed the glass filled scratches on his back that were been steadily losing blood.

"Remus! Sit down! Your still bleeding from these!"

Remus turned around, "Tonks don't worry its fine, really." Remus continued walking when he stumbled.

"Remus, Remus hey..." Tonks said, hurrying up behind him to grab Remus right before his legs gave out.

"Remus," she whispered, "what just happened?"

Remus sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm weaker than I thought..."

"Of course you are Remus! You're loosing blood and...how on earth did you get these scratches?"

"I ran into a window last night."

Tonks gasped, "Did you hurt anyone?"

"No, no, no, I was in the Shrieking Shack last night and somehow I crashed into a window..."

"And you've been bleeding ever since? Remus!"

"Tonks really its..."

"Hold still while I fix it," Dora pressed her wand to his back, muttered something, and the shards of glass slowly removed themselves from his back, Remus clenched his teeth and unconsciously grabbed Tonks' hand as they did.

"Alright, now that the wound's clear I can properly heal it," she pressed her wand to his back again, and the wound sizzled and closed up, the skin slowly knitting back together. Tonks helped Remus up and over to the bed, where he sat down weakly.

"Remus, I need you to tell me exactly how long you've been bleeding and if you feel light headed, weak, drowsy, or dizzy."

Remus groaned, "I think since around one in the morning. All of the above, but I always feel all those things right after full moon."

"Is it worse than normal?"

Remus sighed, "Yes."

Tonks got a worried look in her eyes, "Remus stay here, I need you to stay alert and upright, can you do that for me?" Remus nodded as she hurried downstairs.

Five minutes later Tonks reappeared upstairs with a blood replenishing potion strong enough for Remus to only need to take it once. Remus was still sitting on the bed repeatedly rubbing his face.

"Come on Remus, drink this." Remus took the cup, hand shaking, and drank; she noticed he looked paler. Remus gagged slightly, but kept down the potion. Tonks sighed as she watched the color return to his face.

"Remus, what happened last night?"

"To be honest, I was thinking of you, I couldn't get your face out of my head, even as a werewolf. It was driving my werewolf mind crazy."

Tonks laughed, "You're kidding me right?"

Remus got quieter, "No, Tonks, I'm not," and he leaned in to kiss her.


	2. Mistake

**Remus and Tonks are property of JK Rowling herself **

* * *

"Dammit, Remus! Dammit! You know, I never thought of you to be a player! I can't believe you! You kiss me, string me along for months, and now, oh you apparently just realized now that you're not right for me? Well, that's just bully for you!" Dora yelled at Remus.

"Dora, please, just hear me out..."

"Excuse me? _Now_, you want me to listen? I'm sorry Remus I just can't do that."

"Dora!"

"WHAT REMUS? I tell you I love you and you say we can't continue this. That's a plain and simple go away in my book."

"Dora I can't be with you I'm too old, too poor, and too dangerous. If I ever hurt you I would never forgive myself."

"What am I? A child? Remus, I'm a bloody auror in case you didn't notice. I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself."

"Dora, accidents can happen..."

"Oh Remus I know that full well, this relationship, apparently, was an accident!" With that Dora turned on her heel and apparated home.

When she got home she sat down on the floor and sobbed. She could feel her hair slowly turning brown and she didn't care anymore, nothing mattered anymore. The fact that she'd stupidly fallen in love with a man who didn't share the feeling was just another mistake she'd made. _Oh, god,_ Dora thought, _I'm still going to have to see him every week for Order meetings._ She needed to talk to someone, _Molly_, she thought. Dora prepped herself, and apparated to the Burrow.

* * *

**AN: Nymphadora Tonks is very fun to write when she's mad XD Anyway, this one is VERY short compared to the first one, but I feel like it needs to stand alone, enjoy, and please review! :)**


	3. Transformation

**Lupin and Tonks are not property of mine! They just like visiting my head every once and a while ;) **

* * *

"I'm coming to stay with you tonight," she said randomly at dinner the night of the full moon.

"No, absolutely not," Remus replied.

"Remus I've made up my mind, I'm sick of only seeing you in the morning weak and sick, and you're on Wolfsbane." Dora stated, thinking back to yesterday...

_"Sweetheart!" Dora called as she opened the door to their home. She sighed, Remus was probably reading in their bedroom._

_"Remus? Sweetheart?" She wandered into the bedroom to check on him. The bed was empty._

_"Remus?" Dora called, the panic was apparent in her voice. She found him in the basement._

_"Remus? What are you doing?" Dora, being the Auror she was, quickly took in the surrounding details of the room. Remus looked rumpled, sitting against the wall and four empty Firewhiskey bottles were on his left side. The Daily Prophet was lying to his right. _

_"Looks like I'm famous, Tonks," Remus said pushing The Daily Prophet toward her with a slightly trembling hand. Dora was worried, Remus didn't usually drink. Only two other times had she seen him drunk, once on the year anniversary of Sirius' death and the other on the night of Dumbledore's funeral, both times he had called her Tonks, both times she'd been with him all night and the next day when he had been hungover. Dora looked down at The Daily Prophet looking for what would be bothering him, and quickly found it, letting out a gasp of surprise and anger: _

**Monster Among Us?**

Former Hogwarts Professor Remus J. Lupin has been revealed as the only werewolf presiding outside the prominent pack in the UK. Lupin was appointed to Hogwarts by the late Headmaster Albus Dumbledore soon after the late, now cleared, suspected murderer Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. Lupin was a student at Hogwarts six years after becoming a werewolf.

Minister Scrimgeour was asked for a comment and he replied, "Lupin is presumably safe, but we are keeping a close eye on him." The question is, does Lupin loose control every full moon and is he slowly transforming every decent wizard family's children in the UK?

_(Continued on p. A6)_

_"Oh Remus, I'm so sorry," Dora said shaking her head and crawling closer to sit next to him and grabbing his hand. __"Hey you know what? Ever since all the stuff they reported about Harry and Dumbledore half the wizarding world doesn't believe The Daily Prophet any more." Remus sighed and looked around for another bottle._

_"Oh I think not Professor Moony," Dora said, zapping the full and empty bottles away with a flick of her wand._

_"Tonks...please I just..." Remus said in such a pleading voice that Dora almost zapped the full bottles back, but exercised her Auror trained will power. On a whim, Dora kissed him, her lips molded against his and their tongues connected. When Dora pulled back she saw a different look in Remus' eyes as if she'd woken him from a trance._

_"Hi Dora," He sighed, looking ashamed._

_"Next time," She said helping him up, "Next time don't drown your sorrows, talk to me all right?" They apparated to the kitchen where, Dora helped him sit down at the table and told him sit and she stood to warm up his dinner._

_He put his head in his hands, "I messed up, I shouldn't have let the Prophet get to me." Dora set down a plate of food in front of him and pulled a chair up close to him, and kissed him again._

_"Stop putting yourself down, its okay to make a mistake every once in a while. Now drink your Wolfsbane," She told him, kissing his cheek..._

Remus put down his goblet with a look of defeat. This would be his first transformation since they had gotten married.

"Fine, but don't come right away, I'd...rather you don't...see me transform..._please?" _

_"_Oh, all right but is it that bad? Harry's seen you transform and he thinks nothing of it."

Remus shuddered, "Yes, well, he has more prominent memories of that night, unless something worse happens, which I doubt it will, you could be scarred mentally and physically."

He got up and pushed his chair back, wrapping his arms around his wife, "If I ever hurt you I would never forgive myself."

She could hear the tears in his voice, and around to kiss him, "I know, and I love you."

* * *

Remus apparated into their basement, the only way anything could get in or out, because of the charms he had placed on it.

"I'll see you soon," Dora said cheerfully. Remus smiled weakly, there was a crack, and he was gone. Moonrise came, and then exactly ten minutes later, Dora apparated into the attic. _Nothing's attacked me, that must be a good sign_, she thought.

"Remus?" She called, and then she saw him, huddled in the corner. He was beautiful and frightening at the same time. "Can I touch you?" He hesitated but nodded. She walked forward and put her hand on his head.

He sighed, "Does that make it worse?" Remus shook his head and looked up at her with pleading eyes.

Dora smiled and kissed his head, "Do you ever get any sleep?" He shook his head again.

"Well, why don't you try? I'll be here all night."

Remus sighed again and rested his head on his paws.

* * *

Shortly before moonset Remus woke, "What? Do you not want me to see you transform?" Dora asked after he looked at her with pleading eyes again. He nodded and Dora walked to the other side of the room, facing away from him and getting out a bottle of healing potion and a blanket. Soon she heard him stand up, heard a cry of pain, some dreadful cracking sounds, and a thump.

"Dora," he whispered feebly. She turned around and ran to him, wrapping a blanket around him.

"Do you need the potion? Is it bad? Did I make it worse? Do you want to go home or wait a little while?" Remus sunk against her chest and took a deep, shaky breath. "Remus?" She asked worriedly.

"No, no, I'm okay, its always this bad right after the transformation."

"Well, do you need the potion? I have it right here..."

He sighed and shook his head, "The potion only works on injuries, it won't help my weakness." His wife nodded and was silent for a few minutes.

"Are you sure I didn't make it worse? It was...interesting."

Remus groaned, "Did I scare you? I'll be okay if you..."

"Remus John Lupin, don't you dare! I love you, and now that I've seen you, all of you, I love you even more and _you_ are the one I want to be with."

Remus took a sharp breath which started her, "Oh, did I hurt you? I'm sorry." She said this a kissed his head lightly.

"No, no..." He shifted his position and leaned against Dora again, grabbing her hand, "I was just thinking about how it felt when you touched me last night. The second you laid you hand on my back, I felt a warm sensation that lessened the pain, then you kissed me and for a few hours I felt no pain, and sleep came." Remus lifted his head to kiss her.

After a few minutes Dora asked, "Are you in pain now?" The fact that he didn't answer worried her enough.

"Do you want me to apparate us back or do you feel well enough to do it yourself?" Remus nodding and Dora moved to stand up.

When she was standing she look down at Remus, "Ready?" He nodded weakly and stood up, then his knees locked, his head started to spin and he collapsed. Dora caught him and held him while the weakness took over and shudders overpowered his body.

When the shudders lessened and all that could be heard was Dora's calm breathing and Remus' sharp, pained intakes, "Okay, how about I just apparate to our bed?" Dora said, breaking the silence. When she felt Remus nod, she apparated to their bed, hoping that there would be a bucket near the bed.

The bucket was there, and Dora was glad, because almost immediately after they apparated, Remus keeled over, into the bucket. Dora held him close, as the shudders of weakness yet again racked his body. When they stopped, and Remus was lying down, Dora spoke up, "Are you hungry? Do you want to sleep, a book, or to talk?"

Remus winced as he turned on his side, and Dora laid down to face him. "Are you sure I didn't scare you?" Remus asked again weakly.

Dora shook her head and kissed his hair lightly. "Why would you think that?"

"I never imagined...that I would meet some like you...who loved me as much as I loved them...who would love me as a whole...it just seems to good to be true..." As Remus spoke his eyes filled with tears. When the tears spilled over Dora reached out and wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"Why do you put yourself down so much? You're not a monster it's just a little issue you have," Dora said winking.

Remus laughed, and winced, "You, Harry, and James all seem to think the same thing, James even asked me to change him once or twice." He smiled at the memory.

It was then when Dora got up the courage to ask something she'd been wanting to know for a while, "Remus, what would you do, before you met me, on the full moon I mean and the morning after."

He sighed and replied quickly, "Every once in a great while I could afford enough to make a meager Wolfsbane which would help a little. Normally I would go to some field or an abandoned home to transform so others would be safe. In the mornings the pain was sometimes so unbearable that I was numb with it, other times it was better. I would wait until night and then I would apparate home. You make it so much better, just knowing that when I transform back, you'll be there within minutes to stay with me lessens the pain slightly, and last night when you were there, at one point the pain was gone. Its just so amazing, the power of love. There truly is no greater thing."


	4. Christmas Secret

**Remus, Tonks, and Sirius do not live in my head :P**

This story takes place earlier than all my other ones, just a little note :)

* * *

Tonks always loved volunteering during Christmastime. It made her happy, seeing the smiles on the patient's in St. Mungo's. She signed up at the Auror's office, to be randomly assigned a ward at the hospital. It was the first Christmas that she had joined the Order when she was assigned to the incurable wing. She walked to each room on Christmas morning, placing a wreath on the door, or a Christmas ball in the doorway. She was almost done when she reached a closed door, knocking on it to see if there was a visitor to open it.

"I'll be just a min-oh, uh Nymphadora, what are you doing here?"

Tonks was about to correct him when she noticed the older woman who resembled Remus with a blank look in her eyes in the bed behind him, "I, uh, was just going to drop off a wreath." She hung it up on the door and added a cherry 'Happy Christmas!' aimed at both of them. She walked away and felt Remus' eyes trained on her with each step she took.

* * *

"So who is she?"

Sirius looked up at his younger cousin, "Who?"

"The woman Remus visited this morning."

"Oh, her."

"Sirius! Who is she?"

Sirius sighed and sat at the table, "His mother."

Tonks sat next to him, her eyes filled with worry, "Wha-What happened to her?"

"You know the Longbottom's?" He paused waiting for recognition to spark in her eyes. When she nodded he continued, "She, like them, was tortured to madness. Now, Mrs. Lupin was already a bit loopy, she wasn't quite right after Remus was bitten...but the curse, it pushed her over the edge. Well, we think it did, we know the Death Eaters killed his father, maybe watching him die caused her to go mad, I'm not sure. If Remus, is, he'll probably never tell me. Poor Moony, it him hit pretty hard. He's been visiting her every Christmas since, I've never seen him miss it."

Tonks stared straight ahead, "Poor Remus, he never gets a break does he?"

"Well, no, he um...do you have a crush on ol'Moony, Tonks?

She reddened, "What! N-no..."

Sirius leaned back in his chair and bellowed, "Oh my, Moony's finally gotten someone to fall for him! My cousin too! Have you two snogged yet?"

"Sirius! I don't-I don't think he thinks of me in his league."

"Oh Tonks, I'm sure he likes you, he probably thinks that same thing about you. Remus thinks of himself as...undeserving."

"But he is deserving! He's such a kind, good man, how could anyone...how long has he held a job?"

Her cousin shrugged, "Not long, at least when I was free he had one months at a time, until they got fed up with him missing work once a month. James had been supporting him for a while before he died. I don't know how he got along after they died. My advice, however, is don't bring up seeing him at Mungo's. Its a sore subject for him, let him bring her up on his own accord."

Tonks nodded, and she waited. Weeks past and he said nothing about it, both of them acting as if nothing had happened on Christmas. Then one morning Sirius apparated, unwelcome, into her bedroom at Grimmauld Place. "Sirius! Merlin's beard! How were you sure I was decent?"

"Oh, well since we're related, its not perverted."

Tonks groaned, "What do you want, Sirius?"

"I think Remus needs you...he got a letter this morning, and he hasn't moved from the stairs since."

"Oh Sirius, I don't think he-"

"Look, you and Remus love each other, and much more than sibling love. I see it every time you look at the other. Neither of you may realize it yet, but it's true. And...I think you're the only one Remus will talk to right now."

Tonks sighed and rose out of bed, "I never knew you were a softie, Sirius."

"Well...um, seeing Moony like this makes me think this is how he was after James and Lily died and I was carted off to Azkaban. I don't like him feeling hopeless...talk to him, Tonks, please?"

She nodded, "Nowleave so I can dress in peace."

Tonks walked gently down the stairs, spotting Remus sitting on the landing, head in hands, a letter beside him. She quietly sat down next to him.

"I'm the reason my mother went crazy," he said, not looking up. "After I was bitten she went mad with worry, mad with anger, and mad with sadness. She became obsessed with finding a cure for me, and having my father killed in front of her eyes pushed her over the edge. Order members found her sitting in a corner, eyes blank, my father's body yards away. They would've thought she killed him herself if it wasn't for the Dark Mark above the house." He took a shaky breath before continuing, "I tried to visit her every Christmas, but it was useless. Towards the end she didn't even know it was me. She hadn't looked at me and cried 'My son's a monster' in years!" he added hysterically. Remus looked up at Tonks and his dark, sad eyes met her teary ones for a moment before he dropped his head again. "At least she died in a blissful world inside her head. A world without Voldemort, a world without werewolves. For those first nine years of my life, I'm sure she loved me, but all those years after I was bitten, she found it very hard. And of course, right before she died, I doubt she even knew who I was."

Tonks had trouble finding the right words to comfort Remus with. She simply decided that her actions would make the difference. Taking his hand, and laying her head on his shoulder, she sat there with him as the tears silently fell down his scarred face.


	5. Good Night

**Remus and Tonks are all Jo's, I'm just borrowing ;) **

_Remus and Tonks have in bed after the Seven Potters incident_

* * *

They were lying in bed, both of them on their side, Remus with his arm holding Tonks close.

"Did you see the look Ron gave you as he got on my broom?"

Remus chuckled and Tonks shuddered from his warm breath on her neck, "The poor boy must think I'm territorial."

She turned, facing him, "Good thing we both got back in one piece, I'm sure you would've done something to him."

He rolled onto his back in a huff, "I have more self-control than you think I do."

Tonks laughed and hitched her leg onto his hip. "Not with me you don't," she whispered into his ear.

Remus groaned and turned back to face his wife, "You'll be the death of me Nymphadora Lupin."

"I will be if you continue to call me Nymphadora."

"Sorry! Sorry! It just rolls off the tongue so well..." She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, giving Remus the proper punishment for calling her by the name he knew she hated.

"You've already forgiven me," he whispered in her ear a few minutes later.

Tonks opened her eyes but didn't move, "No, this time, I haven't. You've pushed your luck far too many times, Lupin."

"Are we back to a last-name basis now? Because it will probably get very confusing if I have to start calling you Lupin, also."

"Don't go getting all technical on me, Professor. Good night."

Remus chuckled, and whispered in her ear, "Now, don't be like that, Dora."

She smiled and turned back to him again, weaving her hands through his graying hair, "Hmmm, I quite like that one."

"What? Dora? Your father calls you that all the time..."

She kissed him softly, "Yes, but coming out of your mouth, I like it much more."

He leaned in for another kiss, "Dora, Dora, Dora."

"I love you," she smiled against his lips.

"I love you too, Nym-Dora."

She groaned, "Good night!"

"G'night, Dora...See! I'll get it soon enough, I just need to get into the habit of it!" Remus mumbled as he began to drift off.

* * *

**I thought I'd post a little fluff in honor of Part I coming out on Friday! I'm so excited! As always...please review, and I'm open to suggestions if anyone has 'em! :) **


	6. Wedding

**J. Rowling owns the characters I just rented them for a little... :) **

_

* * *

Lily looked over from the dance floor, to a table off to the side, and saw an expected sight. She looked back towards James, "Can I go force your friend up here?" _

_James laughed, "You can attempt it like the rest of us, we've never been able to get him to dance." _

_She smiled and made her way over to the table, "I bet I can make it happen," she muttered. "Remus, why the longer face than normal?"_

_He looked up at her and sighed, "I'm having trouble being happy, Lily. There are so many things going on right now, and all of them are running through my mind at the least possible times. Like now." _

_She sat down next to him, "Oh Remus, you need to let go every once in a while. Its a wedding for Merlin's sake! Its your best friend's wedding! Its my wedding! Now forget about all of this-" She waved her hands around at the air, "-and remember how to be happy." _

_He sighed and looked at her dubiously, finding her suggestion hard to wrap his mind around. _

"_Remus," she said, batting her eyelashes at him, "will you dance with me?" _

"_A married woman? What kind of person do you take me to be?"_

"_A werewolf." _

"_Well," he started, standing up, "if you insist on cheating on your brand new husband hours after you left the alter. Then I need to be a friend and make sure you don't go too far, by being your partner in this cheatful dance." _

_He takes her hand and she leads him to the dance floor, where Sirius and James and the other guests are dancing, for one night forgetting the horrors of the world beyond the tent. _

"Remus?"

He's taken back to the present by a blob of blond hair.

"Dora," he muttered, and looked up at his glowing wife.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him, sitting down.

"Weddings, Lily, James, Sirius, the First War. James and Lily's wedding to be specific, it was about a year before..."

"What'd you do at their wedding?"

"Sulked in the corner, that is, until Lily got me off my butt."

"You danced with the bride?"

Remus laughed at her shock, "We were _never_ like that. She was my friend, and there for me at times no one else was. She noticed I wasn't in the spirit and she got me to forgot for a little."

Tonks smiled, "Remus, would you do me the honor of dancing? And..._forgetting?_"

He smiled down at his wife, and nodded, leading her out to the dance floor. For a little while, maybe he could forget the problems of the world outside the tent flap.


	7. Come Home

**JK owns the characters, and OneRepublic owns the song. **

_

* * *

Hello world hope you're listening  
__Forgive me if I'm young or speaking out of turn  
__But there's someone I've been missing  
__And I think that they could be the better half of me  
__They're in the wrong place trying to make it right  
__But I'm tired of justifying_

Tonks sat in her apartment in Hogsmead, looking out the window at the full moon. Remus was out there, a werewolf among a pack. Was he okay? Was he bleeding in a ditch somewhere, having faced the wrath of Greyback?  
She missed him.

Remus looked up at the moon, half full and turned on the spot.  
He didn't know where he was going, just away from the pack.

He ended up in the Shrieking Shack, looking out the window towards Hogsmead, he saw a light on in one of the rooms above Hog's Head. He knew Dora was stationed in Hogsmead, could that be her light in the window? He shook himself and walked away, _wishful thinking_.  
He missed her.

_So I say to you come home come home  
__'cause I've been waiting for ya for so long  
__And right now there's a war between the vanities  
__But all I see is you and me  
__And the fight for you is all I've ever known  
__So come home_

Dumbledore was dead. And now the kids knew why she hadn't been herself.

Tonks definitely didn't feel like herself. Her patronus was different, she couldn't morph, her habits had changed. It seemed like that when Remus left, he took part of her with him.  
She had to get out of the castle, and away from him.

_I get lost in the beauty of everything I see  
__The world ain't half as bad as they paint it to be  
__If all the sons and all the daughters stop to take it in  
__Well hopefully the hate subsides and the love can begin  
__It might start now yeah  
__Or maybe I'm just dreaming out loud_

"Tonks?"

"What now Remus?" She asked, looking up at him from her sitting position. After her outburst in the Infirmary, she had run off to the grounds for some privacy.

He found her anyway.

"I, uh, oh I don't know how to start."

"You can start off with walking away," she snapped, and to her horror, her voice broke.

He sat down next to her, "I never meant to..."

"Rip my heart to shreds? Cause me to fall into such a deep depression, I don't think I'll ever get out? Fall in love with me?"

"Stop it Dora! Don't you see this hurt me too?"

"Did it? Doesn't seem like it, Remus. Or is this another one of your excuses?"

He clenched and unclenched his hands into fists, and let out an aggravated sigh. "I'm such an idoit," he muttered.

"Yes you are."

The air around them lost its tension.

_But until then come home come home  
__'cause I've been waiting for ya for so long for so long  
__And right now there's a war between the vanities  
__But all I see is you and me  
__And the fight for you is all I've ever known ever known  
__So come home_

"If I say sorry, will you forgive me?"

Tonks snorted, "It might take a little more than that."

"What if, I promised to tie myself to you forever?"

"Pardon?"

"Dora, what if I asked you to marry me? To be with me forever and ever?"

"I...uh, well um, that might work."

_Everything I can't be is everything you should be  
__And that's why I need you here  
__Everything I can't be is everything you should be  
__And that's why I need you here_

"I need you, Dora, and I honestly thought that if I left, you could move on. I didn't realize how deep our relationship had become."

"Until you left."

"Until I left. Believe me, I knew I loved you, I didn't know how much though. Why does distance make us wise? I don't know. All I know now is that I need you."

She gasped, and the air suddenly electrified.

_So hear this now come home come home  
__'cause I've been waiting for ya for so long for so long  
__And right now there's a war between the vanities  
__But all I see is you and me  
__And the fight for you is all I've ever known ever known  
__So come home come home_

The second she closed the door, Remus pushed her against the door, kissing her passionately. "I like your choice of flat."

"Eh, I didn't really need anything big, I'm on patrol most of the time anyway, I only come to sleep really."

"Mhmmm, that means the bed isn't made doesn't it?"

"Well...I was thinking that the couch is so much more convenient anyway."

They fell back onto the couch with bursts of breathless laughter.

"Welcome home," she whispered before kissing him again.

* * *

**Hmm, I thought this turned out pretty well, I'd had it on the back burner for a while, and I thought I'd finish it today. I hope you like it! Its my first songfic, so it might not be up to snuff...but oh well. PLEASE PLEASE review! I keeps me motivated and I update sooner :)**

**Thanks!**


	8. Trashed

**Jo owns it all!**

**AN: This takes place before they became 'Luponks' and in the early days of OotP**

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Tonks had extended her work route to include a stop at the Department of Mysteries, to see if security had been increased, or if certain 'persons of interest' had begun showing up more frequently at the entrance. She spotted Lucius Malfoy at the entrance again, like she had did every single day for the past week and a half. He looked up at the footsteps and was, in no doubt, not surprised to see her there.

"Ah, Auror Tonks, we've seemed to gotten into the habit of meeting here, may I ask why you always walk by?"

"Ah, I just think the door is beautiful."

Lucius laughed incredulously, "You think the door is...beautiful?"

She nodded, Tonks had planned her responses word for word, she'd known he would ask her eventually. "I beautiful in a _mysterious_ way. So dark, different from the rest of the departments, it makes you wonder what is behind it. Did you hear that the Ministry thinks someone may be attempting to steal something in it? It makes you wonder, what is back there that someone who doesn't work in the department, wants so badly."

* * *

Tonks took the Floo Network home that night. She wasn't in the mood to apparate, she just wanted to go home and read a book in her pajamas, it had been a long day. After escaping Lucius, she'd found herself with mounds of paperwork from her last Ministry-based mission. She had tomorrow off, but from work, not from the Order, Tonks was hoping for a good night sleep in between her two jobs. She ducked into the Floo and found herself at her flat. Looking around with wide eyes she noticed the wreckage, it had been completely trashed. The couch tipped over, books ripped out of shelves, some destroyed, dishes had been broken, her things strewn over the entire apartment, nothing left untouched. In the center of her wall someone had burned in, _Stay out of our business Nymphadora Tonks. _She turned on the spot, shaking, and found herself on the steps of 12 Grimmauld Place. Too upset to say the password, she knocked.

"Dammit Sirius! Open up!" She knocked harder and kicked the door until it opened and she found herself faced with Remus Lupin.

"W-where's Sirius?"

"Sleeping off Firewhiskey, Tonks are you-"

She stepped into the hallway, looking around for a moment before she threw herself into Remus' arms and sobbed. He seemed shocked at first but relaxed, wrapping his arms around her and whispering soothing things in her ear as she sobbed. When she had calmed down, he led her into the sitting room and sat her down, letting her take her time before she explained what happened. Tonks took a deep breath and recounted her encounter with Lucius, then what she saw when she had arrived at her flat. He nodded as she told her story, but his face paled when she told him what her flat had looked like. Remus got up and paced, "If you had been in your flat..."

"Remus, I wasn't and that's what is important. Its as if they didn't want me to be home, like they aren't strong enough to do their wor-"

"Of course they're strong enough!" Remus bent down to her level, "Nymphadora, I don't think you understand how powerful these people are, they've killed and tortured to insanity to get something they want." His eyes were crazed, but they softened when he saw the anxiety in her face, "I need to speak to Dumbledore. Tonks, take my room, and stay the night. I'll be back by morning." He threw some powder into the fireplace, and with a burst of green flame, he was gone.

* * *

"Remus! I didn't expect to see you tonight," Dumbledore said as he stood up from behind his desk to greet the werewolf.

"I'm sorry not to send notice, Albus, but I had to talk to you about something."

"Go on."

"Tonks' flat was broken into tonight."

"Oh dear, I was afraid of that, she's putting herself in a dangerous position, snooping around the Ministry. She's vital to the Order, and we cannot lose her. What do you suggest Remus?"

"I..I uh, well I was thinking she needs a guard or at least someone watching her, maybe she could..." "

Maybe she could what, Remus?" Dumbledore asked, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Maybe she could move into Grimmauld Place..."

"Excellent idea, Remus, are you also offering her your room?"

"I..I don't know what you're implying, Albus."

"You're willing to do anything to protect her, Remus, you would even go so far as to give up your life if she could live in its place."

"Well, I'd do that for anyone in the Order-"

"You and I both know that your feelings for Nymphadora run deeper than that, Remus. No matter how much you deny it to yourself, the thought of her being more than a friend has crossed your mind before, hasn't it?"

He didn't respond for a long time, staring into the fire, "Even if I do find her...attractive, we can never be together. It wouldn't work, she's so young...full of light. I can't corrupt her with my life full of pain. Her parents were only a year out of Hogwarts in my first year, how can I even consider her a partner for me?"

"During times like these, love can come from unexpected places, don't push her away, Remus. It will only hurt both of you."

"You can't be implying that she may have feelings for me, too." Dumbledore shrugged, "Just remember not to let the prejudices get to you, Remus. Sometimes it takes someone else to help us realize how much we are truly worth. Its that one in a million that changes your life for the better."

He nodded, overwhelmed, "I'll let Tonks know that she has a new home."

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